To hide the cables when installing electrical wiring in concrete, brick, or monolithic walls, grooves or channels are frequently made. The next crucial step after installing the wiring is to correctly seal these grooves. This keeps the wires safe and guarantees an even, smooth surface that is simple to finish with wallpaper, paint, or plaster.
Although sealing the grooves may appear like an easy task, selecting the appropriate supplies and techniques is essential for a long-lasting and successful outcome. The ideal method depends on the kind of wall, the depth of the groove, and the surrounding circumstances.
This post will discuss the best techniques for caulking grooves in various kinds of walls. We’ll talk about the best materials to use—from contemporary fillers to more conventional cement-based solutions—and provide helpful advice to make sure your work is both aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting.
- Even walls after a groove
- When a groove in the walls is required
- Chasing for wiring in walls: features of work on different surfaces
- How to patch a hole after chasing
- In a concrete wall
- In a brick wall
- In a monolith
- The better to close up: the best materials
- Video on the topic
- 3 mistakes when replacing wiring in a panel apartment
- How and what to seal the grooves
- How to seal a groove or hole in one go? How to prevent plaster from being sucked in?
- HOW TO PERFECTLY SEAL CHASES IN A WALL WITH ELECTRICAL WIRING – VIDEO LESSON SHVETSOV GROUP
- How to seal grooves in a wall with electrical wiring
- How and what to seal through holes in a concrete wall. In one go.
- Sealing grooves using technology. Different methods and mistakes.
- Chases in concrete with a grinder with two discs and without dust
Even walls after a groove
Navigating pages
For a high-quality repair outcome, the hole must be neatly and evenly sealed after the wiring replacement process.
The order in which repairs and finishing work are performed depends on the material used to construct the walls.
When a groove in the walls is required
Plumbing work requires wall chasing. When wiring needs to be installed in a new building or old houses need to have worn-out cables replaced, the craftsman punches grooves in the wall for the wires.
For a smooth, long-lasting finish, sealing wiring grooves in concrete, brick, or monolithic walls is not only feasible but also necessary. Using a premium filler, such as plaster with a cement base or specialized wall repair compounds, is the most effective way to seal these grooves. Just make sure the mixture is well-prepared for strong adhesion. A seamless surface is ensured by carefully filling and smoothing the grooves, safeguarding the wiring and upholding the integrity of the wall. This easy step ensures long-lasting protection and a polished appearance.
Chasing for wiring in walls: features of work on different surfaces
When chasing, different surfaces respond in different ways. Making a groove in concrete is the hardest task; a hammer drill or chaser are required for this. A grinder is used to mark the lines and a hammer and chisel is used to make the grooves if wiring needs to pass through a wooden wall, which is a relatively soft and pliable material.
A specific instrument called a chaser is used to create depressions in porous concrete. If the wall is brick, you can attach the wiring with dowels and avoid gouging out grooves.
A chisel or grinder is used for horizontal chasing, which is the process of inserting a cable into a metal casing. It can be used by any owner of a hammer drill equipped with a "drill" or "pick" type attachment. Since cement mortar is softer and more pliable than brick, brick walls are ideally chased along their seams.
Easy guidelines for pursuing:
- Vertical grooves should not be deeper than one third of the total wall thickness.
- Horizontal grooves are made less than one sixth of the wall thickness.
- Chasing is done in a straight line, parallel to the floor line, they should not intersect. This requirement is due to common sense – if the groove is too deep, the strength of the wall deteriorates. If the grooves intersect, the integrity of the wall suffers.
- The grooves are done either strictly vertically or strictly horizontally, the slope is allowed only on non-straight walls.
How to patch a hole after chasing
You will need a trowel, a container to mix the solution in, a spatula, a brush, and a sprayer to fill the hole. Work in walls composed of various materials varies.
In a concrete wall
The inner walls of the groove, the hole itself, and the surrounding surface are all liberally moistened with water at the start of the work using:
- a sprayer;
- a wide brush;
- a sponge or a piece of foam rubber.
After priming the concrete wall’s groove, building mortar is added and quickly, widely stroked crosswise, moving from bottom to top to right and from bottom to top to left. Using an iron spatula, remove any excess mixture that has solidified after the first hardening. The spatula should be used in gentle, stroking motions.
The instrument is firmly pressed up against the wall. The surface is puttied once the putty has dried. It takes six to twelve hours for the mixture to dry completely.
In a brick wall
A lot of dust is present when chasing a brick wall, and this dust is first cleaned with a long, narrow brush. Water is applied liberally to the surface. The master will therefore require more primer and more careful application.
Use alabastr or a gypsum solution to shuffle the furrows. Brick fragments submerged in cement mortar that fills the groove may be used if the stroke is deeply cut. Next, using a trowel, completely fill the holes and voids with cement or gypsum mortar.
The groove itself should not be filled with pieces of a bigger brick than the stroke. In this instance, leveling the wall will be challenging after the mixture has dried.
In a monolith
Use the same technique to bling the stroke in a concrete wall as you would in a monolithic wall.
A mixture with higher viscosity fills the groove in the monolithic wall. The stroobes are packed as tightly as possible with the solution.
If required, the solution is applied using a variety of techniques. For example, the master applies the first layer after waiting for it to completely dry before applying the next, and so on until the recess is filled. A spatula is used to level the surface.
The better to close up: the best materials
It is up to personal preference what kind of material is used to fill the groove once the wire or cable has been laid. For instance, weighting putty is made by combining sand and cement in a 3:1 ratio with builders. This mixture is quite plastic at the same time. Experts advise combining alabaster with PVA glue because the resulting mixture is plastic, extremely sticky, and freezes gradually.
The most severe and robust material is a mixture of cement and sand, which is also the most affordable and widely used. It is possible to modify the solution’s density. Builders use gypsum solution frequently. It’s crucial to keep in mind that gypsum calls for "quick hands." The substance solidifies in a maximum of five minutes. The thickening of the gypsum solution produces strength.
Gypsum is already hardening, so there is no reason for it to stick strongly to the groove’s surface. Plasterboard putty, whose advantage is that it doesn’t need to be mixed in specific proportions—just dilute the powder with water—will give the wall a clean, polished appearance.
A robust, moisture-resistant material is required to seal the stem in the walls. The master himself decides which solution to pick, taking into account factors like cost, ease of use, and his own experience. The most important thing is to chase walls with caution and responsibility.
| Wall Type | Best Sealing Method | Recommended Solution |
| Concrete | Use plaster or cement mortar | Apply a plaster mix or cement-based mortar directly into the grooves, then smooth it out for a flush finish |
| Brick | Use cement mortar | Fill the grooves with cement mortar, ensuring it bonds well with the bricks, then smooth the surface |
| Monolithic | Use a special repair compound | Apply a high-strength repair compound suitable for monolithic surfaces, then level it out |
It is not only feasible but also crucial to seal wiring grooves in concrete, brick, or monolithic walls in order to guarantee the durability and security of your installation. Sealing these grooves correctly keeps the walls structurally sound, keeps the wires safe from harm, and gives the area a polished, clean appearance.
Usually, a cement-based filler works best to seal these grooves because it sticks well to the materials commonly used in walls. You might also think about using plaster, gypsum-based compounds, or even special-purpose sealants made specifically for wiring grooves, depending on the size of the groove and the kind of wall.
To guarantee that the filler adheres correctly, the grooves must be thoroughly cleaned before sealing. Give it enough time to dry after filling, and then apply another layer if needed for a smooth finish. After it dries, sanding the surface can help create a smooth finish that is prepared for painting or additional wall treatments.
In conclusion, sealing wiring grooves is an easy task that can be completed with the appropriate tools and methods. If you take precautions during this stage of the project, your walls will last for many years and still be strong and beautiful.
